Federal Republic of Central America
Encyclopedia
The Federal Republic of Central America, known as the United Provinces of Central America in its first year of creation, was a sovereign state
in Central America
, which consisted of the territories of the former Captaincy General of Guatemala
of New Spain
. It existed from September 1821 to 1841, formed into a republican democracy
.
The coat of arms
on the nation
's flag
from 1823–1824 referred to the federation
(in Spanish
) as Provincias Unidas del Centro de América ("United Provinces of the Center of America"); however, its 1824 constitution
, coat of arms, and flag called it República Federal de Centroamérica / Centro América ("Federal Republic of Central America").
It is also sometimes incorrectly referred to in English
as the United States of Central America. The flag was introduced to the area by Commodore
Louis-Michel Aury
inspired by the Argentine flag
. The term United Provinces was also used in Argentina's first title "Provincias Unidas del Río de la Plata" (United Provinces of the River Plate). Commodore Aury established the first independent republic in Old Providence Island
(Isla de Providencia) in 1818, off the coast of Nicaragua
.
The republic consisted of the present-day states of Guatemala
, El Salvador
, Honduras
, Nicaragua
, and Costa Rica
. (Panama
was part of Bolivar's Republica de Colombia in 1821.) In the 1830s, an additional sixth state was added – Los Altos
, with its capital in Quetzaltenango
– occupying parts of what are now the western highlands of Guatemala and Chiapas
state in southern Mexico
. Although the new nation was now independent of Spain
, it had been annexed
by the First Mexican Empire
.
The annexation
was the focus of disagreement, some seeing the Mexican constitution with its abolition of slavery and establishment of free trade
as an improvement over the status quo
. During the period of 1838–1840, the federation engaged in civil war
by Conservatives fighting against the Liberals. Without a sustained struggle for independence to cement a sense of national identity, the various political factions were unable to overcome their ideological differences and the federation dissolved after a series of bloody conflicts.
On February 24, 1821, General Agustín de Iturbide
proclaimed in the town of Iguala, Mexico, the Independence of Mexico under terms thereafter referred to as the Plan of Iguala
. The Plan of Iguala had three primary premises: establishment of Roman Catholicism, political independence from Spain, and constitutional equality for all social and ethnic groups in the new order, summarized as "Religion, Independence and Unity" ("Religión, Independencia y Unión"). Developments in Mexico caused considerable concern in Central America. On April 10, in Guatemala City, Captain General Brigadier Gabino Gainza issued a statement denouncing the 'Plan of Iguala' and pledging the Captaincy General to the Spanish Crown.
Events in Mexico precipitated a political crisis in the Captaincy General. On August 24, Viceroy Juan O'Donojú
accepted the terms of the Plan of Iguala to end the Mexican Wars of Independence and recognized Mexican independence in the Treaty of Cordoba. On September 8, in Ciudad Real, in assembly, the people of Chiapas, one of the provinces composing the Captaincy General, proclaimed its independence, adopting the Plan of Iguala. In San Salvador the Province of El Salvador declared itself for independence under the Plan of Iguala, but fell short of proclaiming it. Finally on September 14, in Guatemala City, the Captain General and his councilors convoked a General Assembly of dignitaries (including the Archbishop, the heads of the Military branches, the Mayor of Guatemala and his Council and others) to review the question. Before this assembly could be installed, a Popular Assembly called by the City Council which included deputies from the provinces and the citizenry of Guatemala declared independence and the Deed of Declaration of Independence ("Acta de Independencia") was signed and proclaimed on September 15, 1821, which is now recognized as Independence Day by five Central American republics.
An "Interim Consultative Board for the Government of Central America" was installed with representatives from all of the provinces, so that in consultation and agreement with the Captain General, it governed the provinces of the Kingdom of Guatemala until a Constitutional Congress was established. Captain General Gainza was named Executive ("Poder Supremo") and a Congress was called to convene in Guatemala City on the 1st of March, 1822. On September 18, Captain General Gainza communicated to the Regent of Mexico, General Agustin de Iturbide, that the Provinces of the Kingdom of Guatemala, by popular vote, had proclaimed their independence from Spain.
Iturbide responded in a note to Captain General Gainza dated October 19 that " ... the current interests of Mexico and Guatemala are so identical and indivisible, that separate or independent nations cannot be erected without risking their existence or security ..." and ordered the Count de la Cadena to lead a protective expedition to Guatemala, Panama and Campeche to insure their people "enjoyment of their civil liberty and rights as men living in society".
Central American liberals
had high hopes for the federal republic, which they believed would evolve into a modern, democratic nation, enriched by trade passing through it between the Atlantic
and the Pacific
ocean
s. These aspirations are reflected in the emblems of the federal republic: the flag shows a white band between two blue stripes, representing the land between two oceans. The coat of arms shows five mountains (one for each state) between two oceans, surmounted by a Phrygian cap
, the emblem of the French Revolution
.
In practice, however, the federation faced insurmountable problems. As president of Mexico, Vicente Filisola
occupied Guatemala City
after the formation of Federal Republic of Central America and was successful in annexing El Salvador
in 1822, causing an uprising there. In compliance with the Mexican constitution, Filisola convened the Central America
n congress which forthwith declared its independence from Mexico. Filisola was not able to maintain a fighting force, and his troops were sent back to Mexico by the residents of Guatemala City who paid for their transportation.
The liberal democratic project was strongly opposed by conservative
factions allied with the Roman Catholic clergy
and the wealthy landowners. Transport
ation and communication routes between the states were extremely deficient. The bulk of the population
lacked any sense of commitment towards the broader federation, perhaps owing to their continued loyalty to the Roman Catholic Church in Spain.
The federal
bureaucracy
in Guatemala City
proved ineffectual, and fears of Guatemalan domination of the union led to protests that resulted in the relocation of the capital to San Salvador
in 1831. War
s soon broke out between various factions both in the federation and within individual states. The poverty and extreme political instability of the region prevented the construction of an inter-oceanic canal
(see Nicaragua Canal
and Panama Canal
), from which Central America could have obtained considerable economic benefits.
dissolved in civil war between 1838 and 1840. Its disintegration began when Nicaragua
separated from the federation on November 5, 1838, followed by Honduras
and Costa Rica
. The union effectively dissolved in 1840, by which time four of its five states had declared independence
. The union was officially ended only upon El Salvador's self-proclamation of the establishment of an independent republic in February 1841. Because of the chaotic nature of this period an exact date does not exist, but on May 31, 1838, the congress met to declare that the provinces were free to create their own independent republics. In reality, they were just making legal the process of disintegration that had already begun.
Despite the failure of a lasting political union, the sense of shared history and the hope for eventual reunification persist in the nations formerly in the union. In 1856–1857 the region successfully established a military coalition to repel an invasion by U.S.
adventurer William Walker. Today, all five nations fly flag
s that retain the old federal motif of two outer blue bands bounding an inner white stripe. (Costa Rica modified its flag significantly in 1848 by darkening the blue and adding a double-wide inner red band, in honor of the French tricolor.) The short-lived sixth state of Los Altos
was forcibly annexed by Guatemala
's President General Rafael Carrera
except the Chiapas section, which was annexed by Mexico
.
Sovereign state
A sovereign state, or simply, state, is a state with a defined territory on which it exercises internal and external sovereignty, a permanent population, a government, and the capacity to enter into relations with other sovereign states. It is also normally understood to be a state which is neither...
in Central America
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
, which consisted of the territories of the former Captaincy General of Guatemala
Captaincy General of Guatemala
The Captaincy General of Guatemala , also known as the Kingdom of Guatemala , was an administrative division in Spanish America which covered much of Central America, including what are now the nations of Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala, and the Mexican state of Chiapas...
of New Spain
New Spain
New Spain, formally called the Viceroyalty of New Spain , was a viceroyalty of the Spanish colonial empire, comprising primarily territories in what was known then as 'América Septentrional' or North America. Its capital was Mexico City, formerly Tenochtitlan, capital of the Aztec Empire...
. It existed from September 1821 to 1841, formed into a republican democracy
Republican democracy
A republican democracy is a republic which has democratic forms of government. One of the key principles is free and open debate prior to casting a vote. A republic in the modern understanding is a nation or state where the people are sovereign. It is not a monarchy, where the king or queen is the...
.
The coat of arms
Coat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
on the nation
Nation
A nation may refer to a community of people who share a common language, culture, ethnicity, descent, and/or history. In this definition, a nation has no physical borders. However, it can also refer to people who share a common territory and government irrespective of their ethnic make-up...
's flag
Flag
A flag is a piece of fabric with a distinctive design that is usually rectangular and used as a symbol, as a signaling device, or decoration. The term flag is also used to refer to the graphic design employed by a flag, or to its depiction in another medium.The first flags were used to assist...
from 1823–1824 referred to the federation
Federation
A federation , also known as a federal state, is a type of sovereign state characterized by a union of partially self-governing states or regions united by a central government...
(in Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
) as Provincias Unidas del Centro de América ("United Provinces of the Center of America"); however, its 1824 constitution
Constitution
A constitution is a set of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state or other organization is governed. These rules together make up, i.e. constitute, what the entity is...
, coat of arms, and flag called it República Federal de Centroamérica / Centro América ("Federal Republic of Central America").
It is also sometimes incorrectly referred to in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
as the United States of Central America. The flag was introduced to the area by Commodore
Commodore (rank)
Commodore is a military rank used in many navies that is superior to a navy captain, but below a rear admiral. Non-English-speaking nations often use the rank of flotilla admiral or counter admiral as an equivalent .It is often regarded as a one-star rank with a NATO code of OF-6, but is not always...
Louis-Michel Aury
Louis-Michel Aury
Louis-Michel Aury was a French Corsair operating in the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean during the early 19th century.Aury was born in Paris, France, in about 1788. He served in the French Navy, but from 1802 served in privateer ships...
inspired by the Argentine flag
Flag of Argentina
The national flag of Argentina is a triband, composed of three equally wide horizontal bands coloured light blue, white and light blue. There are multiple interpretations on the reasons for those colors...
. The term United Provinces was also used in Argentina's first title "Provincias Unidas del Río de la Plata" (United Provinces of the River Plate). Commodore Aury established the first independent republic in Old Providence Island
Providencia Island
Isla de Providencia or Old Providence is a mountainous Caribbean island. Though it is closer to Nicaragua, it is part of the Archipelago of San Andres, Providencia and Santa Catalina, a department of Colombia, lying midway between Costa Rica and Jamaica...
(Isla de Providencia) in 1818, off the coast of Nicaragua
Nicaragua
Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
.
The republic consisted of the present-day states of Guatemala
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
, El Salvador
El Salvador
El Salvador or simply Salvador is the smallest and the most densely populated country in Central America. The country's capital city and largest city is San Salvador; Santa Ana and San Miguel are also important cultural and commercial centers in the country and in all of Central America...
, Honduras
Honduras
Honduras is a republic in Central America. It was previously known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras, which became the modern-day state of Belize...
, Nicaragua
Nicaragua
Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
, and Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
. (Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
was part of Bolivar's Republica de Colombia in 1821.) In the 1830s, an additional sixth state was added – Los Altos
Los Altos, Central America
Los Altos was an area of Central America, which was added as a sixth state to the Federal Republic of Central America in the 1830s. Its capital was Quetzaltenango...
, with its capital in Quetzaltenango
Quetzaltenango
Quetzaltenango, also commonly known by its indigenous name, Xelajú , or more commonly, Xela , is the second largest city of Guatemala. It is both the capital of Quetzaltenango Department and the municipal seat of Quetzaltenango municipality....
– occupying parts of what are now the western highlands of Guatemala and Chiapas
Chiapas
Chiapas officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Chiapas is one of the 31 states that, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 118 municipalities and its capital city is Tuxtla Gutierrez. Other important cites in Chiapas include San Cristóbal de las...
state in southern Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. Although the new nation was now independent of Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, it had been annexed
Annexation
Annexation is the de jure incorporation of some territory into another geo-political entity . Usually, it is implied that the territory and population being annexed is the smaller, more peripheral, and weaker of the two merging entities, barring physical size...
by the First Mexican Empire
First Mexican Empire
The Mexican Empire was the official name of independent Mexico under a monarchical regime from 1821 to 1823. The territory of the Mexican Empire included the continental intendencies and provinces of New Spain proper...
.
The annexation
Annexation
Annexation is the de jure incorporation of some territory into another geo-political entity . Usually, it is implied that the territory and population being annexed is the smaller, more peripheral, and weaker of the two merging entities, barring physical size...
was the focus of disagreement, some seeing the Mexican constitution with its abolition of slavery and establishment of free trade
Free trade
Under a free trade policy, prices emerge from supply and demand, and are the sole determinant of resource allocation. 'Free' trade differs from other forms of trade policy where the allocation of goods and services among trading countries are determined by price strategies that may differ from...
as an improvement over the status quo
Status quo
Statu quo, a commonly used form of the original Latin "statu quo" – literally "the state in which" – is a Latin term meaning the current or existing state of affairs. To maintain the status quo is to keep the things the way they presently are...
. During the period of 1838–1840, the federation engaged in civil war
Civil war
A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same nation state or republic, or, less commonly, between two countries created from a formerly-united nation state....
by Conservatives fighting against the Liberals. Without a sustained struggle for independence to cement a sense of national identity, the various political factions were unable to overcome their ideological differences and the federation dissolved after a series of bloody conflicts.
Independence and annexation by the Mexican Empire
Since the 16th Century Spanish conquest of Central America, the territories that became the Federation were governed by a Captaincy General of the Kingdom of Guatemala, based in Guatemala City and associated with the Viceroyalty of New Spain in Mexico City.On February 24, 1821, General Agustín de Iturbide
Agustín de Iturbide
Agustín Cosme Damián de Iturbide y Aramburu , also known as Augustine I of Mexico, was a Mexican army general who built a successful political and military coalition that was able to march into Mexico City on 27 September 1821, decisively ending the Mexican War of Independence...
proclaimed in the town of Iguala, Mexico, the Independence of Mexico under terms thereafter referred to as the Plan of Iguala
Plan of Iguala
Plan of Iguala, also known as Plan of the Three Guarantees , was a peace treaty proclaimed on February 24, 1821, in the final stage of Mexican War of Independence from Spain. The plan attempted to establish a constitutional foundation upon which an independent Mexican Empire would be based...
. The Plan of Iguala had three primary premises: establishment of Roman Catholicism, political independence from Spain, and constitutional equality for all social and ethnic groups in the new order, summarized as "Religion, Independence and Unity" ("Religión, Independencia y Unión"). Developments in Mexico caused considerable concern in Central America. On April 10, in Guatemala City, Captain General Brigadier Gabino Gainza issued a statement denouncing the 'Plan of Iguala' and pledging the Captaincy General to the Spanish Crown.
Events in Mexico precipitated a political crisis in the Captaincy General. On August 24, Viceroy Juan O'Donojú
Juan O'Donojú
Juan O'Donojú y O'Rian was a Spanish military officer and jefe político superior of New Spain from July 21, 1821 to September 28, 1821, during Mexico's war of independence...
accepted the terms of the Plan of Iguala to end the Mexican Wars of Independence and recognized Mexican independence in the Treaty of Cordoba. On September 8, in Ciudad Real, in assembly, the people of Chiapas, one of the provinces composing the Captaincy General, proclaimed its independence, adopting the Plan of Iguala. In San Salvador the Province of El Salvador declared itself for independence under the Plan of Iguala, but fell short of proclaiming it. Finally on September 14, in Guatemala City, the Captain General and his councilors convoked a General Assembly of dignitaries (including the Archbishop, the heads of the Military branches, the Mayor of Guatemala and his Council and others) to review the question. Before this assembly could be installed, a Popular Assembly called by the City Council which included deputies from the provinces and the citizenry of Guatemala declared independence and the Deed of Declaration of Independence ("Acta de Independencia") was signed and proclaimed on September 15, 1821, which is now recognized as Independence Day by five Central American republics.
An "Interim Consultative Board for the Government of Central America" was installed with representatives from all of the provinces, so that in consultation and agreement with the Captain General, it governed the provinces of the Kingdom of Guatemala until a Constitutional Congress was established. Captain General Gainza was named Executive ("Poder Supremo") and a Congress was called to convene in Guatemala City on the 1st of March, 1822. On September 18, Captain General Gainza communicated to the Regent of Mexico, General Agustin de Iturbide, that the Provinces of the Kingdom of Guatemala, by popular vote, had proclaimed their independence from Spain.
Iturbide responded in a note to Captain General Gainza dated October 19 that " ... the current interests of Mexico and Guatemala are so identical and indivisible, that separate or independent nations cannot be erected without risking their existence or security ..." and ordered the Count de la Cadena to lead a protective expedition to Guatemala, Panama and Campeche to insure their people "enjoyment of their civil liberty and rights as men living in society".
Politics
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
had high hopes for the federal republic, which they believed would evolve into a modern, democratic nation, enriched by trade passing through it between the Atlantic
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
and the Pacific
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
ocean
Ocean
An ocean is a major body of saline water, and a principal component of the hydrosphere. Approximately 71% of the Earth's surface is covered by ocean, a continuous body of water that is customarily divided into several principal oceans and smaller seas.More than half of this area is over 3,000...
s. These aspirations are reflected in the emblems of the federal republic: the flag shows a white band between two blue stripes, representing the land between two oceans. The coat of arms shows five mountains (one for each state) between two oceans, surmounted by a Phrygian cap
Phrygian cap
The Phrygian cap is a soft conical cap with the top pulled forward, associated in antiquity with the inhabitants of Phrygia, a region of central Anatolia. In the western provinces of the Roman Empire it came to signify freedom and the pursuit of liberty, perhaps through a confusion with the pileus,...
, the emblem of the French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
.
In practice, however, the federation faced insurmountable problems. As president of Mexico, Vicente Filisola
Vicente Filisola
Vicente Filisola was a Spanish military figure, Mexican military and political figure in the 19th century.-Life and career:...
occupied Guatemala City
Guatemala City
Guatemala City , is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Guatemala and Central America...
after the formation of Federal Republic of Central America and was successful in annexing El Salvador
El Salvador
El Salvador or simply Salvador is the smallest and the most densely populated country in Central America. The country's capital city and largest city is San Salvador; Santa Ana and San Miguel are also important cultural and commercial centers in the country and in all of Central America...
in 1822, causing an uprising there. In compliance with the Mexican constitution, Filisola convened the Central America
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
n congress which forthwith declared its independence from Mexico. Filisola was not able to maintain a fighting force, and his troops were sent back to Mexico by the residents of Guatemala City who paid for their transportation.
The liberal democratic project was strongly opposed by conservative
Conservatism
Conservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...
factions allied with the Roman Catholic clergy
Clergy
Clergy is the generic term used to describe the formal religious leadership within a given religion. A clergyman, churchman or cleric is a member of the clergy, especially one who is a priest, preacher, pastor, or other religious professional....
and the wealthy landowners. Transport
Transport
Transport or transportation is the movement of people, cattle, animals and goods from one location to another. Modes of transport include air, rail, road, water, cable, pipeline, and space. The field can be divided into infrastructure, vehicles, and operations...
ation and communication routes between the states were extremely deficient. The bulk of the population
Population
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
lacked any sense of commitment towards the broader federation, perhaps owing to their continued loyalty to the Roman Catholic Church in Spain.
The federal
Federation
A federation , also known as a federal state, is a type of sovereign state characterized by a union of partially self-governing states or regions united by a central government...
bureaucracy
Bureaucracy
A bureaucracy is an organization of non-elected officials of a governmental or organization who implement the rules, laws, and functions of their institution, and are occasionally characterized by officialism and red tape.-Weberian bureaucracy:...
in Guatemala City
Guatemala City
Guatemala City , is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Guatemala and Central America...
proved ineffectual, and fears of Guatemalan domination of the union led to protests that resulted in the relocation of the capital to San Salvador
San Salvador
The city of San Salvador the capital and largest city of El Salvador, which has been designated a Gamma World City. Its complete name is La Ciudad de Gran San Salvador...
in 1831. War
War
War is a state of organized, armed, and often prolonged conflict carried on between states, nations, or other parties typified by extreme aggression, social disruption, and usually high mortality. War should be understood as an actual, intentional and widespread armed conflict between political...
s soon broke out between various factions both in the federation and within individual states. The poverty and extreme political instability of the region prevented the construction of an inter-oceanic canal
Canal
Canals are man-made channels for water. There are two types of canal:#Waterways: navigable transportation canals used for carrying ships and boats shipping goods and conveying people, further subdivided into two kinds:...
(see Nicaragua Canal
Nicaragua Canal
The Inter-Oceanic Nicaragua Canal was a proposed waterway through Nicaragua to connect the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean with the Pacific Ocean...
and Panama Canal
Panama Canal
The Panama Canal is a ship canal in Panama that joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. Built from 1904 to 1914, the canal has seen annual traffic rise from about 1,000 ships early on to 14,702 vessels measuring a total of 309.6...
), from which Central America could have obtained considerable economic benefits.
Presidents
 |
||||||
| Guatemala Flag of Guatemala The flag of Guatemala features two colors: sky blue and white. The two sky blue stripes represent the fact that Guatemala is a land located between two oceans, the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean ; and the sky over the country . The white color signifies peace and purity.In the center of the... |
El Salvador Flag of El Salvador The flag of El Salvador was inspired by the flag of the Federal Republic of Central America, and by the flag of Argentina, the country that sent one of the first fleets to help consummate the independence of Central American republics from Spain.... |
Honduras Flag of Honduras This national flag of Honduras was adopted on March 7, 1866, based on the flag of the Federal Republic of Central America.In 1823 Honduras joined the United Provinces of Central America and adopted their flag. In 1866 it was amended; five cerulean stars were placed in the center to represent the 5... |
Nicaragua Flag of Nicaragua The flag of Nicaragua was officially adopted on August 27, 1971 . It is based on the flag of the United States of Central America and inspired by the Argentine flag.-Overview:... |
Costa Rica Flag of Costa Rica The official flag of the Republic of Costa Rica is based on a design created in 1848. The state/national flag, also used as the military ensign, includes the coat of arms of Costa Rica... |
Los Altos Flag of Los Altos Los Altos was an area of Central America, which was added as a sixth state to the Federal Republic of Central America in the 1830s. Its capital was Quetzaltenango and it occupied the west of present-day Guatemala and parts of the Mexican state of Chiapas... |
Dissolution of the Union
The unionFederation
A federation , also known as a federal state, is a type of sovereign state characterized by a union of partially self-governing states or regions united by a central government...
dissolved in civil war between 1838 and 1840. Its disintegration began when Nicaragua
Nicaragua
Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
separated from the federation on November 5, 1838, followed by Honduras
Honduras
Honduras is a republic in Central America. It was previously known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras, which became the modern-day state of Belize...
and Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
. The union effectively dissolved in 1840, by which time four of its five states had declared independence
Independence
Independence is a condition of a nation, country, or state in which its residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory....
. The union was officially ended only upon El Salvador's self-proclamation of the establishment of an independent republic in February 1841. Because of the chaotic nature of this period an exact date does not exist, but on May 31, 1838, the congress met to declare that the provinces were free to create their own independent republics. In reality, they were just making legal the process of disintegration that had already begun.
Later attempts at a federal union of Central American states
Various attempts were made to reunite Central America in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, but none succeeded for any length of time:- The first attempt was in 1842 by former President Francisco MorazánFrancisco MorazánGeneral Francisco Morazán was a Honduran general and a politician who ruled several Central American states at different times during the turbulent period from 1827 to 1842. He rose to prominence at the legendary Battle of La Trinidad on November 11, 1827...
, who became involved in a struggle for control over Costa Rica. After taking control over the capital, Morazán announced he would create a large army to re-create the Federal Republic. Popular feeling rapidly turned against him and a sudden revolt resulted in his arrest and execution by firing squad in September of that year. - A second attempt was made in October 1852 when El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua created a Federation of Central America (Federación de Centro América). The union lasted less than a month.
- Guatemalan President General Justo Rufino BarriosJusto Rufino BarriosJusto Rufino Barrios was a President of Guatemala known for his liberal reforms and his attempts to reunite Central America....
attempted to reunite the nation by force of arms in the 1880s but he died in battle near the town of ChalchuapaChalchuapaChalchuapa is a town and a municipality located in the Santa Ana department of El Salvador. The city of Chalchuapa is in a wide valley at 650 meters above sea level, and watered by the Pampe River.- Overview :...
, El Salvador. - A third union of Honduras, Nicaragua, and El Salvador as the Greater Republic of Central AmericaRepublic of Central AmericaThe Greater Republic of Central America was a short-lived union between Honduras, Nicaragua, and El Salvador, lasting from 1896 to 1898. It was an attempt to revive the failed Federal Republic of Central America earlier in the century....
or "República Mayor de Centroamérica" lasted from 1896 to 1898. - The latest attempt occurred between June 1921 and January 1922 when El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Costa Rica formed a (second) Federation of Central America. The treaty establishing this federation was signed at San JoseSan José, Costa RicaSan José is the capital and largest city of Costa Rica. Located in the Central Valley, San José is the seat of national government, the focal point of political and economic activity, and the major transportation hub of this Central American nation.Founded in 1738 by order of Cabildo de León, San...
, Costa Rica on January 19, 1921. The treaty stipulated for the future creation of one state of all the four signatories, under one constitution. This second Federation was nearly moribund from the start, having only a Provisional Federal Council made up of delegates from each state.
Despite the failure of a lasting political union, the sense of shared history and the hope for eventual reunification persist in the nations formerly in the union. In 1856–1857 the region successfully established a military coalition to repel an invasion by U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
adventurer William Walker. Today, all five nations fly flag
Flag
A flag is a piece of fabric with a distinctive design that is usually rectangular and used as a symbol, as a signaling device, or decoration. The term flag is also used to refer to the graphic design employed by a flag, or to its depiction in another medium.The first flags were used to assist...
s that retain the old federal motif of two outer blue bands bounding an inner white stripe. (Costa Rica modified its flag significantly in 1848 by darkening the blue and adding a double-wide inner red band, in honor of the French tricolor.) The short-lived sixth state of Los Altos
Los Altos, Central America
Los Altos was an area of Central America, which was added as a sixth state to the Federal Republic of Central America in the 1830s. Its capital was Quetzaltenango...
was forcibly annexed by Guatemala
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
's President General Rafael Carrera
Rafael Carrera
José Rafael Carrera Turcios was the ruler of Guatemala from 1844 to 1848 and from 1851 until his death in 1865. During his military career and presidency, the new nations in Central America faced numerous problems...
except the Chiapas section, which was annexed by Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
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| Guatemala Flag of Guatemala The flag of Guatemala features two colors: sky blue and white. The two sky blue stripes represent the fact that Guatemala is a land located between two oceans, the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean ; and the sky over the country . The white color signifies peace and purity.In the center of the... |
El Salvador Flag of El Salvador The flag of El Salvador was inspired by the flag of the Federal Republic of Central America, and by the flag of Argentina, the country that sent one of the first fleets to help consummate the independence of Central American republics from Spain.... |
Honduras Flag of Honduras This national flag of Honduras was adopted on March 7, 1866, based on the flag of the Federal Republic of Central America.In 1823 Honduras joined the United Provinces of Central America and adopted their flag. In 1866 it was amended; five cerulean stars were placed in the center to represent the 5... |
Nicaragua Flag of Nicaragua The flag of Nicaragua was officially adopted on August 27, 1971 . It is based on the flag of the United States of Central America and inspired by the Argentine flag.-Overview:... |
Costa Rica Flag of Costa Rica The official flag of the Republic of Costa Rica is based on a design created in 1848. The state/national flag, also used as the military ensign, includes the coat of arms of Costa Rica... |
See also
- History of Central AmericaHistory of Central AmericaThe history of Central America is the study of the past of the region known as Central America.- Before European contact :In pre-Columbian times, most of modern Central America was part of the Mesoamerican civilization. The Native American societies of Mesoamerica occupied the land ranging from...
- Gran ColombiaGran ColombiaGran Colombia is a name used today for the state that encompassed much of northern South America and part of southern Central America from 1819 to 1831. This short-lived republic included the territories of present-day Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Panama, northern Peru and northwest Brazil. The...
– another local federal state that underwent a similar fate - Peru-Bolivian Confederation
- Golden Circle (proposed country) – a proposed Caribbean federation that would have split off half of the USA
- United States of South America
